A retired police officer who was based in the control box at Hillsborough denied witnessing “the Hillsborough lie” as he was urged to “’fess up” by a barrister at the new inquests into the disaster.

Michael Ryan, a former PC who manned the telephones and tannoy system on April 15, 1989, was accused of having his “eyes and ears closed” during the critical events of the day.

He was asked why none of the officers on duty in the control box recorded a conversation between match commander David Duckenfield and FA chief Graham Kelly in their original statements.

The court heard Mr Duckenfield had incorrectly told Mr Kelly fans had forced an exit gate to the ground, causing the disaster which killed 96 people.

Mr Ryan wrote a statement about Mr Kelly’s visit in January 1990, after Trevor Hicks, who lost daughters Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, in the disaster, made a complaint following evidence which came out at the Taylor Inquiry.

But, although he said he remembered Mr Kelly visiting the control box with Sheffield Wednesday secretary Graham Mackrell and another man, Mr Ryan said he heard nothing of the conversation.

View from inside the police control box at Hillsborough showing the Spion Kop end

Mr George said: “Why was it that when you made your note on April 16 about the events of the previous day, including details of five people who complained about anti-social behaviour and five pubs frequented probably by Liverpool fans, did you not include any reference to Mr Kelly, Mr Mackrell and a third gentleman coming and speaking to Chief Supt Duckenfield?”

Mr Ryan said he had thought it irrelevant at the time.

He denied it had been deliberately omitted.

Mr George added: “Would you be interested to know that not a single person in that control box that afternoon noted this meeting that afternoon?

“That is strange, isn’t it?”

Mr Ryan said: “Not particularly, no.”

He said: “I had quite frankly little concern for people coming visiting.”

Mr George said: “Little concern for people coming and visiting and little concern for the chief officer on duty that afternoon telling a lie?”

But Mr Ryan said he did not hear the conversation.

Mr George said: “You were, possibly I suggest unwittingly and probably unwillingly, but you were a witness to the cover up?”

“The whole Hillsborough lie, the whole saga started in that little room and you were closer to Mr Duckenfield and Mr Kelly than you are to me now and you witnessed the whole thing, didn't you?”

He called for Mr Ryan to “’fess up and tell the truth”.

But Mr Ryan told the court that allegation was “totally untrue”

Mr Ryan also told the court he couldn’t remember a second visit to the control box on the day by Assistant Chief Constable Walter Jackson.

Mr George asked if there was a row between Mr Jackson and Mr Duckenfield, but Mr Ryan said he thought he would have been able to recall that.

Rajiv Menon, representing 10 of the bereaved families, said Mr Ryan had a “front row seat” for the events that had unfolded on the day.

Hillsborough, 15 April 1989

He said: “Yet, inexplicably you had your eyes and your ears closed for so many of the critical events.”

But Mr Ryan said he was busy with his duties and at times it was almost impossible to hear because of the noise in the control box.

Mr Ryan was asked if he thought match commanders Mr Duckenfield and Bernard Murray were slow to act on the day, but told the court he didn’t really wish to comment.

The retired officer was also asked why BBC commentator John Motson reported fans had forced a gate into the ground.

Mr George said: “At 13 minutes past 3 Mr Motson told the world, ‘The story emerges that one of the outside gates leading into that terrace was broken. People without tickets got in, were therefore overcrowding the people with tickets and that’s why the crush occurred’.”

Mr Ryan said he had no idea how Mr Motson got that information and said he had no recollection of being contacted by the BBC in the control box.

He told the court that on the day of the disaster he saw fans trying to climb over fences onto the pitch after the match had got underway.

In his 1989 statement, Mr Ryan said: “Officers were on the perimeter track and were apparently trying to prevent this.”

He told the court the officers were trying to hold supporters back as they climbed the fence.